Allegiances
by JanessaBess
Summary: After Desna becomes injured trying to help Unalaq open the Northern Portal Eska attempts to get him to Northern Healers but knows they won't make it in time. Instead they stumble upon Kiiata, a gifted apprentice of Katara's.
1. Chapter 1

Eska was supporting the weight of her half-conscious twin brother, moving as quickly as she could back towards town. She knew he needed a healer immediately and was attempting to focus all of her energy on locating a Northern Healer as quickly as possible. But in the back of her mind their Father's lack of distress for Desna was bothering her more than she would ever admit. Of course he must be worried about him, she reasoned, he was just caught up in the moment, fearful that if he didn't progress with his plan he would fail. She banished all thought of their Father from her mind and continued on through the night, moving quickly under the Spirit Lights into town.

She glanced down at her twin. Desna's skin was turning pale, his eyes closed now and she realized she was dragging him completely; he was no longer helping her by supporting some of his own weight. She lowered him to the snow covered ground, her face almost betraying the panic that was welling up inside.

"Desna," she whispered, gently smacking his cheek with the sleeve of her robe. He made no movement, but his breath was ragged and she could tell he was in pain. The panic began slipping through her carefully crafted façade and her brows knit together as she tried to come up with a solution; she knew they wouldn't make it to the Northern Healing Centre in time. Dragging him would only intensify his pain and carrying him wasn't an option. Just then she caught sight of a young woman running towards them; a southern water tribe girl.

* * *

She had caught sight of them, Unalaq's children, as she was walking home from Katara's healing hut. It had been a long night, many Southern men were injured and no matter how much Katara praised her for being advanced in her healing skills she felt it was never enough. Each man she was able to heal was replaced with another and she was working endlessly, trying to lift the burden from Katara whose age was beginning to set in physically. Her healing powers were still great but she grew tired quickly and Kiiata would send the elderly woman to rest, replacing her and working double time. She had put in fifteen hours today, and a great deal of it was spent tending to a Southern Tribe woman who was in labor; Katara agreed that this was Kiiata's specialty. She could more easily sooth a mother's labor pains and bring a new Tribe member into the world than any Healer triple her age and experience. Katara called it her gift and no matter how exhausted Kiiata was at the end of the day it always seemed like a blessing to know the most powerful waterbender in the whole Tribe considered her skilled.

When she saw Eska falter to the ground with her brother she knew she couldn't ignore them; a trait she had probably learned from Katara. They were just on the edge of town and Kiiata knew if she didn't get to them before they were spotted they would likely be taken as prisoners and held against Unalaq, which probably wouldn't have been an awful thing in hindsight, but she began to run towards them anyway. Unfortunately she failed to realize that Eska would likely perceive her as a threat; her light brown hair and Southern Tribe clothing made her appear very obviously as the enemy. The first few ice daggers Eska bent missed her by inches but one cut her sharply across the face as she met with its force. Kiiata brought her hand to her cheek as she slowed and felt the warm trickle of blood escaping from the sliced skin.

"Remain where you are," Eska spoke solemnly as always. But there was something else Kiiata was detecting in her tone. Panic? Fear maybe?

"You're Eska, right? I'm Kiiata, I'm a Healer. I can help your brother," she spoke slowly, moving her hand from her cheek and preparing to bend a defense should Eska attack again. Sure enough she did; holding her brother with one arm she raised her other and bent a handful of ice daggers half-heartedly in Kiiata's direction. She reacted quickly, pulling ice from the ground to defend herself, blocking Eska's daggers.

"Eska, please, I want to help your brother but if keep drawing attention to yourself you're going to get captured by our Warriors," Kiiata explained, peeking out from behind her shield of ice. This made Eska pause and within moments she dropped her chin, defeated.

Kiiata moved quickly towards the pair. Desna was unconscious, but after curving her head towards his chest she could hear and see his ragged breathing; he was in pain. She began to panic. She really hadn't thought this through; if she took him back to the Healing Hut she risked being caught by Warriors for helping their enemies but if they remained out in the open she risked her healing being less effective as the cold was surely setting into his body.

"Eska," she asked suddenly. "Do you know how to build a fire?"

She appeared to be taken aback, but she shook her head and Kiiata knew what to do immediately. "We're on the edge of town, any one of the huts here will have a barrel filled with Tiger Seal fat for small fires. Get some, put it in here," she said offering her a small purse like bag, "and bring it back to me. There is a cave nearby where I'm going to move your brother, follow me there."

Eska's face remained expressionless as she nodded. Taking the bag from Kiiata's hand she moved towards the town, but Kiiata stopped her.

"Wait, trade me your robes for my parka."

* * *

Eska assumed that Kiiata's plan was to help her blend in. Her Northern Tribe robes would make her identity obvious to anyone who saw her moving along the edge of town, even at this time of night. She removed her robes and shivered against the cold Southern wind in just her long dress. She wondered fleetingly if the Southern Tribe clothing was more comfortable than the shapeless, floor-length tunics and robes she and Desna wore, but soon enough Kiiata was handing her a hooded parka with very plain stitching and no fur trim at all. She realized as she pulled it over her dress that, in fact, the entire garment was made from Tiger Seal fur, dyed blue, and reaching mid-thigh. It was comfortable and much warmer than the robes she wore normally, though she would refuse to admit it. She turned towards the Southern Tribe girl, about to remark on the ridiculousness of such attire only to have a pair of gloves shoved into her outstretched hands.

"Put these on," the girl said. "I imagine you won't enjoy touching the fat with your bare hands."

Eska slipped the gloves on, trying to figure out which fingers went in which compartment. No matter how she fiddled with them they felt uncomfortable. The thumb was obvious, but what were the other two spaces for?

"Your index and middle fingers go in the first spot, the other two in the second. Now go, we need to hurry."

She pulled on the mittens and set off, running awkwardly in the direction of town. The first hut she encountered seemed to be abandoned, and there seemed to be nothing around it that held any sort of materials with which to create a fire. She moved stealthily to the next hut. After searching around it, she finally found a small barrel containing a thick, white substance that she assumed was the fat. She could sense a family inside, likely sleeping, and wondered if they would notice any missing fat from the barrel; would the need it? Would they suffer without it? She shook her head to free herself of the worry. It didn't matter if the family needed it, Desna needed it more.

She almost gagged as she shoveled her hand into the barrel, grabbing a large handful of the fat and plopping it into the bag Kiiata had given her. She took two more scoops before attempting to wipe the gloves in the snow; an attempt to rid herself of the foul, textured feeling of the lard. It was no use though. Oh well, at least they weren't her gloves. She moved back out into the night with the bag of Tiger Seal fat, scanning along the horizon looking for the Southern Tribe girl. She found her quickly and was surprised by what she saw; the girl had used Eska's robe as a sling stretcher. She was facing the cold bare armed pulling Desna behind her.

* * *

Kiiata had no time to waste. She steeled herself against the cold and laid Eska's robe down on the ground. She knew that attempting to carry Desna would be too difficult; she was strong enough, but it would jostle him too much. He was already unconscious and it was likely due to the pain. She did her best to move him onto the robe she meant to use as a crude stretcher; first his head and shoulders, then his torso and hips, finally his feet. She used the unusually long sleeves to tie him into place, placing each sleeve under his arms so that there was no chance he would slip out while she moved.

Gripping the fur trimmed hood she started moving, pulling Desna behind her, toward the cave she knew wasn't far away. She had discovered it as a child, after running away when her older sisters had been teasing her. She had stayed there until she got so hungry and went fishing. But when she brought the fish back to her hideaway she realized that she had no fire to cook it with and so she had reluctantly taken herself, and her fish, back home.

It wasn't long before she heard the awkward snow steps of Eska; her movements were rough but formal and not easily mistaken for a Warrior.

"You got the fat?"

"Yes"

The two moved in silence, Eska didn't ask their destination and Kiiata didn't offer the information to her. Kiiata wanted to shiver in the cold but a part of her didn't want to seem weak in front of Eska who could easily turn around and report her to the Northern Navy for kidnapping. The proof would be in the seaweed pudding right in her hands.

Finally, after what seemed like ages of silence, they came upon what appeared to be a small cave. The opening was just big enough for them to squeeze into but within seconds they found themselves inside a large cavernous space where Kiiata quickly went to work. It was dark, but making a fire was second nature to her. When you live in the coldest climate in the world you learn skills, like fire-making, fast. She felt around in the dark for a rock that would be long and flat, finding one in seconds. She poked around, feeling for the bag Eska had around her shoulders. A squeal told her she had poked Eska by accident.

"Sorry Eska. But the bag?"

Eska handed it over and Kiiata scooped a handful of the fat and patted it out into the rock in front of her. With her other hand she felt around for dried moss on the wall of the cave. She rolled the moss in the fat before lighting it and suddenly the entire cave was lit up, almost as if she had used wood. She watched with smug satisfaction as Eska's constant blasé expression turned wide-eyed in amazement. She quickly reined in the emotion though and returned to looking bored as ever when she caught Kiiata glancing her way. Now it was time to get to work.

"Eska, move closer to the entrance and bend some of the snow into water for me. I need to remove his robes so I can see exactly what his wounds are like."

Eska flushed, "You shall not remove his robes. I refuse to permit such action."

Kiiata rolled her eyes. "Eska, I can't help him if I don't know how he got hurt, or where his injuries are. I know you aren't going to tell me what caused them so the least you can do is allow me to see them."

She knew she was right. The siblings had likely been off with their father in the Spirit Forest working on some dastardly plan or else the pair wouldn't have been outside town at all. Kiiata sighed, she could have just left Desna alone, continued on her way home and Unalaq's plan would have failed when he realized his son was injured. Stupid conscience.

She noticed Eska had turned away then, moving nearer to the mouth of the cave. Kiiata took this for consent and removed Desna's fur lined robes. Somehow it seemed more awkward removing his tunic though. She was used to tending to Warriors, grown men who had daughters her own age. Desna was just a boy like any of the others in her village. He was probably her age even. And she was undressing him. Her brown skin heated as she removed the sash that held his tunic. Was it hot in here or was it just her, she thought as she opened the front of his tunic and pulled his arms out of the sleeves. He wasn't nearly as well-muscled as some of the Warriors she'd seen in the past few weeks, but she had to admit, he was toned and his arms and chest looked strong. The thought made her blush deepen, clearly noticeable now through her brown skin. Spirits, she hoped Eska wasn't looking.

She examined his wounds now, "Eska bend me some water over here." Eska complied but as Kiiata took a closer look she realized the wounds were strange; not cuts from ice like she would have expected, though she should have known since his tunic and robes were not torn up. His wounds covered the expanse of his entire torso, the largest was in the very middle of his chest; and she had only ever seen one like it before, when she was very young and the elderly Fire Lord Zuko had come to visit Katara.

"Lightning," she whispered as her hands went to work. Taking the water from Eska, she

moved it back and forth over Desna's chest. She could feel the energy left behind from

whatever had caused the injuries and it gave her a strange feeling. She couldn't shake it off but she continued, feeling Desna's breathing even out slowly as she moved the water across his body.

She wanted to try something but she felt nervous with Eska there, now watching her every move. She noticed the bored expression that the girls face usually held was gone. Instead she looked anxious, like she was on the verge of breaking into a panic but trying to rein it in for as long as possible. She decided that it didn't matter what Eska thought of her, she was clearly worried for her brother and anything Kiiata could do to speed up the healing process would likely make her feel better. And perhaps a small part of her wanted to know the gratitude of Desna himself when he woke up; knowing she had healed him quickly and more efficiently than any of the Northern Healers probably could.

She placed her left hand over the large wound on Desna's chest. She could feel most of the energy had built itself up in that particular spot. She used her right hand to ground herself to the floor of the cave and then she shut her eyes. She began to move the hand on his chest in figure eight motions, as if she was using the water to massage him. She concentrated on emptying her mind. Sometimes the energy left in battle wounds had a story to tell and if the Healer grounded herself and opened her mind, the energy could flow through her, telling her the story of the injury and thus allowing her a better insight on how to heal it.

Kiiata was concentrating hard now, her eyes steeled shut and her brows coming together above them, when suddenly the images hit her like the lightening had hit Desna. They knocked the breath out of her and as each image disappeared she was slammed with another. It took a lot of her strength to keep her hand on the boy's chest but she knew she needed to continue. Suddenly she felt it; this energy wasn't just your average energy, it came from the Spirit World. She was out of breath as she motioned the water with her hands again, this time lifting it from his chest, drawing as much of the energy out of him as she could. His breathing hitched and for a moment she panicked. She was hurting him worse, she knew it. The pain of removing the energy was likely the same pain as when the lightning struck him; like removing an arrow. His back was arching and so she scooted forward on her knees, placing her thigh under his neck to support him. Suddenly his eyes opened.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt as if he had been floating in an ocean for thousands of years; each wave washing over his body, ebbing away any pain, easing every inch of his mind. It felt neither good nor bad, it just felt natural. The waters weren't warm or cool, but they were ever present, flowing around his body. Suddenly a jolt slammed through his body, bringing him into a state of awareness. How long had he been in this ocean? Another jolt hit him, electrifying every inch of his being. He began to panic as the waves in his ocean began to beat down on him, each one crashing against his body with another shock of pain. The gentle sea he had been floating in was turning into a typhoon, the waters threating to consume him in pain. It was dark, he couldn't tell, maybe this wasn't an ocean after all.

Another jolt hit him, harder this time, causing him to cry out, and suddenly he opened his eyes. He knew right away that he wasn't in an ocean; he could feel the supple roundness of something supporting his head. A hand gently rested on his chest, right above the source of his pain. Even with eyes open, his vision didn't come into focus at first; a figure above him blurred in and out of his vision before finally, after blinking a few times, the girl came into full focus.

The first thing he noticed about her was the gash on her cheek. It looked fresh, the blood still fairly bright on her brown skin even though it had clotted and was beginning to dry. Then he noticed her eyes; bright turquoise, alarmingly beautiful too. He reached up to touch her, wondering if this was real or if, like his ocean, it was a creation of his mind to deal with the pain. He watched her flinch back slightly, moving her hand from his chest down to the ground beside her, and so he lowered his as well.

Suddenly from a short distance away he heard a familiar voice calling him.

"Desna, my brother, it appears as though this Southern peasant has mended your wounds."

"Eska?" he mumbled, trying to sit up but feeling another shooting pain pierce through his chest.

"M-maybe you should wait…" the Southern girl mumbled. "I don't think I've done enough."

She was looking down at her lap, and had taken Desna's movement as a prompt and moved her thigh back under the rest of her body. The girl looked uncomfortable, like there was more she wanted to say but was holding back, not sure if she should speak or not.

Eska spoke instead. "You said that you could heal my brother, so why have you not done all that you could do? Perhaps you are not as skilled as you believe yourself to be." Her words were meant harshly, a slap in the face for any bender confident in their abilities. He expected the girl to shrink back, to apologize to Eska for being incompetent. Instead he saw her neck snap up, her face shifting from uncomfortable to impassioned.

"Republic City wasn't built in a day! Quit being so pampered, not everyone is going to hand you every single thing you want, when you want. These things take time!"

Desna's face openly portrayed his shock; he had never heard anyone talk to his sister that way. Not even their father, who at times could be downright condescending. His sister however, kept her face expressionless as usual, facing the girl's intense glower with disinterest.

"Besides," the girl added, shuffling towards the small fire on the other side of the room, "his body is wounded severely. The energy comes from the Spirit World, the only way I could heal him in one shot would be if I had Spirit Water, which I do not. So don't complain."

"It is impossible that my brother's injuries were sustained in the Spirit World. I am unsure of what you are speaking of."

Desna watched as the Southern Tribe girl used her bare hands to place fat around the edge of a flame and then wiped her hands on moss on the wall, all the while ignoring his sister. Finally she spoke, turning her head toward Eska, her clean hand swiping strands of brown hair from her face.

"I didn't ask you to tell me what happened, all I'm saying is I can sense where the energy came from. I basically saw how it happened."

Eska made a sound like she was about to interject but the girl continued, "Like I said, you don't have to fess up to what happened or why you were in the Spirit World with your dad, I'm sure the Avatar and everyone else is going to figure it out soon enough, all I'm saying is that your brother is going to need more healing than the average Warrior. So why don't you lie yourself down by the fire and rest or something while I work? I'm sure you'll need your strength for whatever nasty plot your dad is cooking up."

Her tone near the end was venomous, as if she wished her words could cut through both he and Eska. He watched her stand suddenly and move to the mouth of the cave where she bent water from the snow to rinse the fat off her hands. She stood there for a moment, crossing her arms across her chest and he noticed she was only wearing a shirt; blue, and completely strapless, covering only her wrappings and down to where her pants hugged her hips. He realized the strange parka Eska was wearing on the other side of the cave must be hers. But why had she given it up? It was impossible that Eska would have gotten cold. After a moment he realized he was laying on both his robe and Eska's beneath it. The girl had given Eska her parka so that she could use hers as a make-shift stretcher.

He continued to keep silent, his eyes flashing from the Southern Tribe girl near the mouth of the cave to his twin, who was settling down to sleep by the fire, as the girl had suggested. Perhaps he too should lay back and rest.

* * *

He hadn't said a word the whole time. And his rude sister, questioning her abilities? Ha! Maybe if the two of them hadn't been sneaking around in the Spirit World with their daddy, Desna would be fine and her 'inadequate' healing abilities wouldn't be needed. She was brooding by the mouth of the cave but she could feel eyes fixed on her back. Assuming it was Eska she turned her head over her shoulder only to see Eska's eyes closed, settled down by the fire. It must be Desna then, she thought. She was surprised, but she didn't look at him. He hadn't even thanked her, or stood up for her; without her he wouldn't even be conscious!

Minutes passed. She listened to the fire snap as it consumed the tiger seal fat. It was warm in the cave but Kiiata was standing at the mouth of it and the wind was raising goose bumps on her flesh. She was beginning to regret trading parkas with Eska but moving to the fire would mean being near the girl who had spent the first moments of her brother's consciousness complaining that she was incompetent. Just then, she thought she heard a voice. The wind was loud in her ears but she was could have sworn… She strained, but only heard Eska's breathing falling evenly; she was asleep. Slowly Kiiata turned, her eyes focusing on the boy she had just healed.

Desna was watching her, his face showed no emotion, like his sister's. She knew it was him that spoke, so she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to repeat what he had said. They stared at each other for a few moments, neither one of them willing to break the gaze; someone had to give in and speak first but Kiiata wasn't about to let it be her. Finally Desna sighed.

"It appears that you are cold," he pointed out.

"I'm fine," she said despite the feeling of the wind biting at the exposed skin of her back. She pulled her shoulders up higher, trying to will her body into warming itself somehow. She heard Desna sigh again.

* * *

The girl was ridiculous! He could see the goose bumps covering every inch of exposed skin. But for some reason she stood as far away from the fire as possible and refused to come an inch closer. As he watched her he noticed her fighting off shiver after shiver; her dark skin jittering almost imperceptibly. Foolish and stubborn, this girl! What was it with Southern Tribe women? His cousin Korra was the same. Always needing to prove something. He wondered what it would take to get the foolish girl in here.

He started raising himself up using his elbows. It seemed easy enough until he was about half-way into a sitting position and then the pain rippled through his body causing him to grunt. Finally the girl moved back into the cave.

"You're going to hurt yourself! Are you dumb?" she asked, clearly annoyed. She tensed her hands into fists, squeezing them for moment, before letting go with a sigh. She knew what he was up to.

"Lay back again," she said kneeling beside him and placing her knee back beneath his head for support.

He watched her bend water from the entrance of the cave. As she pressed her hands to the wound on his chest he saw her brown skin of her cheeks deepen in color. He didn't have long to contemplate it's meaning before a sharp pain knocked the breath from him. It wasn't as strong as before and as the moments dragged on and her hands continued to move around his chest the pain eased into a dull ache.

"It will scar," she told him.

"So will that," he responded pointing to the gash on her face.

She paused for a moment then, raising one hand to her cheek as if she had almost forgotten about the mark that Eska had put there, no doubt.

"It's fine," she said, going back to moving her hands and bending the water on his chest.

Desna watched her, trying to get her to meet his eyes, but she was clearly avoiding them. He wondered if it upset her that she was going to have a scar on her face. Or, perhaps she was regretting having helped him. Or both, since one had likely led to the other.

"I'm not aware of your title," he said suddenly, awkwardly failing to ease her train of though.

"My…my title?" she replied, blinking in confusion.

"Your name," Desna clarified.

"Oh, my name is Kiiata," she answered, suddenly shy, her turquoise eyes watching her hands on his chest.

* * *

She couldn't look at him. At his stupid eyes or his stupid face. Even looking at the muscles of his stupid chest was making her blush. And he wanted to know her name? She was screaming internally; she wanted to drag him right out into the storm and throw ice darts at him. See how he likes scars on his pretty face. His stupid pretty face. Why was she even being like this? His father started a civil war with her Tribe, and now he was cooking up some dastardly plot in the Spirit World. And she is sitting here in a cave blushing when she touched Desna's chest. Desna! The heir to the chieftain who will likely continue this civil war should anything happen to Unalaq!

She could feel him watching her still and her brows knit tightly together while she tried to avoid looking back at him. Finally she gave up and broke the awkward silence; bringing up a topic she shouldn't even be curious about.

"So… I bet this scar will drive the Northern Tribe girls wild," she said delicately.

"I am not sure why I would want to drive a girl feral," he responded, and she thought she almost saw a hint of a smile on his lips. Was he being sarcastic with her?

"Oh?" she said playing along. "Are you already betrothed?

"No. My sister was, though I believe that the Avatar has stolen the boy from her."

"I would too," she mumbled with a laugh. Desna stared at her.

"I mean, I've seen that Earthbender guy that your sister would traipse around with. He's pretty handsome. Muscular and all that."

"And is that the type of..." he paused as if searching for the right words, "man that you would…involve yourself with?"

She laughed shaking her head and raising a finger to point at the gash on her cheek. "I don't think your sister would appreciate that."

Suddenly and unexpectedly Desna laughed. It was a strange sound, not a laugh she expected; it was higher pitched and much more awkward sounding but somehow that made sense. The shock of the sound and the smile on Desna's face was enough to cause Kiiata's eyes to grow wide, her hands stopped moving the water across his chest, instead coming to rest right above the wound where she could feel the strange laughter emanating from.

Then, as suddenly as his strange laughter had started, it stopped. It was as if he had realized that he had betrayed his emotions. She was still looking at him wide eyed though, and then she threw her head back and laughed a full, true laugh. She wasn't sure if it was the shock of hearing his strange laugh or the shock of his laughter and smile in general, and then suddenly he was laughing with her. It was awkward, which made it seem even funnier, and the sound of his laugh was oddly contagious. Finally when they had both settled down to a giggle Kiiata looked down at Desna only to realize her hands were still gently resting on his chest. Blushing and looking away she folded them and placed them in her lap. She looked back up, meeting his eyes, when she felt Desna's hand touching her cheek where the gash was.


	3. Chapter 3

This time she didn't shrink back from his touch. His fingertips gently brushed over the gash; it didn't feel deep but it was hard, crusted with dried blood. He used his other hand to bend some of the water that the girl had released up towards her face. He wiped at the cut gently with his hands, washing the dried blood away from it; it was already starting to scab.

"I am not a healer. Perhaps you should take a moment to work on the cut, it may help you avoid a scar," he told her.

She smiled at him, as if surprised that he was allowing her to tend to herself. She brushed his hand from her face and his eyes widen at her touch. Her hands were softer than he would expect a commoner's to be and her skin was warm to the touch, not ice cold like some of the noble girls his mother had begged him to court.

"I'm not worried about a scar," she said. "Might make me look a little tougher." She smiled at him again and he began to feel himself start to panic. He liked it when she smiled and he couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was just because she was smiling at him or perhaps it was because he was the cause of the smile. He might even like it because of the way her turquoise eyes would brighten as she did it, causing her whole face to light up. She lifted her dark, bare shoulders in a shrug when she smiled too, almost as if, when the corners of her mouth lifted, so did the rest of her; her entire body portraying her happiness. And what was making her happy at this moment? Something he had said!

But his panic wasn't over her smile. His panic was over how much he liked it. This Southern peasant girl was not part of his Father's plans. If anything she would make things more complicated. She knew that the three of them had been in the Spirit World; how close was she with the Avatar? Would she warn his cousin of what she had seen? Would his Father blame him for the Avatar being a step ahead of them? What if he found out about the girl? Would he harm her?

Kiiata must have seen he was in deep thought because after a few moments of silence between them she reached her hand out toward his and asked, "What are you thinking about so hard?" He looked up then, suddenly realizing his expression had become hard, his brow knitting together in concentration. He looked down at where her hand was, reaching out to take his, but he didn't answer.

"I know that you don't know me at all. And I know what you're thinking, 'she's just a poor Southern Tribe girl sticking her nose in my business'"—

"Then perhaps it would be wise to remain uninvolved," he interrupted, realizing he sounded far too harsh. She clearly didn't notice, or maybe she just didn't care, because she continued anyway.

"Desna," his name spilled out of her mouth like music, "I saw what happened to you, and I saw Unalaq's reaction. Or should I say his lack of reaction. If it weren't for your sister" –

He interrupted her again, "Please refrain from speaking about my family."

Desna didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to have to defend his father when he knew he couldn't. He was doing his best to hide his anger altogether; to act as if his father truly only had his best interest at heart. But the girl had seen everything.

"I guess… I'm just trying to say," she let out a sigh. "Well, for me, my father would never turn his back on me."

"You can't understand. My father is trying to do something important." His words were harsh and defensive, his emotions betraying him.

"Maybe he is. But I mean, Katara trained me, and she also trained the Avatar. Hell, she was married to the last Avatar! I trust her judgement, and she trusts the Avatar's. If Korra thinks your dad is up to something bad, I'm going to trust her judgement too."

Desna snorted. "My cousin is not even a fully realized Avatar."

She shrugged, pulling her knees up to her chest, "Maybe. But she can get advice from the others, the past Avatars. It's not just Korra's instinct, it's the Avatars' and if anyone knows about Spirit World matters it's the them; past and present."

When he didn't respond she continued, "Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't support your dad. I mean, he's your dad and I'm sure he has a reason for the things he's doing, I'm just saying it's something you should think about."

The two of them sat in silence for a while after that. Kiiata had her eyes closed leaning closer to the fire without actually moving towards it and Desna's eyes pulled over her body. She had long brown eyelashes that kissed her cheeks when her eyes were closed like this. Her hair was close to the color of his cousin's; the color of most Southern Tribe people. But hers fell halfway down her back in a four strand braid and the shorter tendrils at the front floated around her cheeks and forehead. Her mouth was small but her lips were still full, and a dark peach color that made them stand out from her brown skin. But what he wanted to see most of all was her eyes; the bright turquoise color that he had never seen before. Her eyes were like an electric shock against the brown color of her skin and he imagined looking into them could make him feel like he was floating in that ocean again.

Almost as if she had read his thoughts, Kiiata opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"You know, when I first saw you and Eska, out on the tundra, I imagined if I had left you then your dad's plan would have failed. He would have been so worried about you that he would have abandoned this war, given up on whatever cause he is fighting for. But when I was healing you, and I saw how he reacted… Desna I'm so sorry." She moved toward him and placed her hand on his knee and his body reacted instantly.

"It's not your fault," Desna spat out trying to keep his voice from quivering. He was staring right into her turquoise eyes and she wasn't breaking his gaze. The two were locked, Kiiata sitting by his side, her hand on his knee as he lay on the cave floor. He moved his hand slowly from the ground until he was placing it on top of hers. Her fingers entwined with his and was it just him or was she slowly moving closer? Yes, she was moving her face closer and closer to his. When he realized what she was about to do he started to sit up but the pain that shot through his torso just as their lips were about to meet made him cry out and Kiiata jerked back quickly.

* * *

"What is going on? Desna, did she hurt you?" Eska had woken up and was rushing over to her brother's side, all but shoving Kiiata to the side.

So awkward. She had almost kissed him. Was that even appropriate? He was next in line to be Chief and she was… Well she was a Southern Tribe healer; a nobody. But he had been about to kiss her back, hadn't he? He had moved forward to meet her. Or maybe that wasn't what he was doing. But it had seemed like he wanted to kiss her too. She needed to stop thinking of this because all it was doing was creating such an intense feeling of want within her. But his hand on hers… He had placed his hand on top of hers and hadn't pulled away when she filled the spaces between his fingers, hadn't looked away when the two locked gazes.

She looked over at Desna now, his sister fussing over him and accusing her of making his wounds worse. But at that moment Kiiata didn't really care because Desna was still looking at her. And his face reflected the same look of desperate craving as she was feeling. Did his skin tingle when she touched him the way hers did? When he had touched her face it had felt like a cool water fall washing over her, even before he had pulled the water to heal the gash on her face.

Kiiata's thoughts were broken when Eska suddenly turned on her.

"You must use your healing abilities one more time and then my brother and I are leaving."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Eska?" Desna said before Kiiata had a chance to protest herself.

"We need to find our Father Desna."

"For what end," Desna retorts. "He was ready to abandon me and has failed to even mention your heart break with that Earthbender."

"You know that he would care if he had the time," Eska whispered looking down. She was clearly still emotional about the Avatar's friend abandoning her at the altar.

"Are you so sure sister?" Desna was challenging her now and Kiiata knew by the look on Eska's face that he had made a mistake.

Shards of ice flew around the cave, all missing Desna of course, but the sharp pieces sliced through the cave moss and shattered against the stone walls. After a few moments Kiiata stepped between the twins.

"Stop!" she cried, after two fairly large pieces of ice slashed two gashes just below her collar bone. "Eska, I know you aren't actually going to hurt your brother and throwing ice around isn't going to do any good." Kiiata waved her wrist in a swift movement that turned the chunk of ice being hurled at her face into water that she bent away from her. She blew the tendrils of hair out of her face and backed up from Eska who was breathing hard, her eyes darting left to right as if trying to find some other way to let her anger out.

While she calmed down, Kiiata turned to Desna, bending some of the water she had just thrown away back towards her and placing her hands back on Desna's chest. Her hands moved methodically, her eyes trying to focus on the wound and not wander to meet his or down south to his abs. Eska was probably right, the two of them should leave before she and Desna got caught up in the moment again. She could only imagine how bad it would look on Desna's reputation if word got out that he had kissed a Southern Tribe girl; a peasant no less. If she just worked on him for a little bit longer, he would probably be okay to move and the two could part ways as if they had never met. Of course for Kiiata that would be easier said than done but she would have to manage. Besides, if Eska convinced her brother to go back and join their father, Kiiata was on the side of the Avatar and that made her the enemy.

* * *

He could tell she was avoiding his eyes. She was focused on the wound on his chest but Desna couldn't take his eyes of Kiiata. He could see in his peripherals that Eska was staring at him, taking in and slowly understanding what the look on his face meant, but he could care less. He wanted Kiiata to look at him; he wanted to let her know he was on her side in all this. Every time her hands caressed his skin he felt lighter and the longer she worked the more he felt the need to reach out, to touch her, to draw her close and keep her there.

He saw the look of distaste on his sister's face and drew back. He was becoming as besotted with this Southern Tribe girl as his sister had been with that Earthbender. His sister was sending him a warning; this girl could not be trusted and would break his heart.

Desna considered this. He didn't have much of a heart left to break. He had been surprised at himself when the emotions toward Kiiata had washed over him. His mother had forced him to court many Northern Tribe girls of high ranking birth and he had never had an interest in them. He and Eska were inseparable and neither of them needed anybody else. He had always imagined taking on his chiefdom with his twin, not as a queen but simply as an equal; the two of them ruling the tribes. Even when Eska had given that idiotic Earthbender a betrothal necklace he had imagined the two of them, side by side, with Bolin as an addition.

He looked at Kiiata's face again, hoping she would at least be stealing a glance at him, but still she focused on her work. His eyes travelled down to her chest, the two deep gashes his sister had made there were still bleeding and he watched one drop move its way down between her breasts and disappear beneath her strapless shirt. He raised his hand and placed it over the gashes, his hand over her chest feeling the beat of her heart. Finally she looked up at him.

Her turquoise eyes revealed her conflict, though what she was thinking it was impossible for Desna to know. He withdrew his hand awkwardly, blood staining his palm, when Eska shot a deadly glare at him.

"That is good enough,"Eska said moving in front of Kiiata to help her brother up.

He stood, not knowing what else to do and although the pain was still there, it had dulled. Why had Kiiata healed him? She could have easily kept him injured and Eska wouldn't possibly force him to leave her if he was still in pain. Was Eska right? Did this girl not care? Did she not feel the way he was feeling? Maybe she hadn't been leaning in to kiss him; maybe he had made the whole scenario up in his head because it was what he had wanted. He hardened at the thought.

"Yes, we should return to father," was all he responded, easily switching into his blasé monotone.

He watched as Kiiata stood up and moved away, no longer willing to make eye contact. It was clear that she did not feel the same way that he did. She wasn't asking him to stay, or giving him a goodbye the way he had seen some women do to their lovers. She simply moved towards the fire while he replaced his tunic and robes and handed Eska hers that he had been laying on.

"Thank the spirits," Eska grumbled, pulling Kiiatas Southern Tribe parka off and replacing it with her robes.

Without so much as a word to Kiiata, Eska moved out of the cave and into the storm. Desna hesitated at the entrance, waiting to see if Kiiata would say goodbye, but he masked his disappointment well as he too headed out into the night.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Between quitting one job, getting another, quitting that one and finally going back to my old one I was so busy and then when I finally did write this chapter I didn't like it so I restarted it and went in a different direction because Desna was coming out way too fluffy. He's still a little fluffy here and I know it seems OOC but trust me, that will be explained in future chapters. ALSO with the Book 3 trailer out (as well as the leak) the next few chapters may not coincide with what is happening in Book 3, but I'm not sure how I'm going to reconcile that just yet. _


	4. Chapter 4

Kiiata doused the fire in the cave and replaced her parka on her shivering shoulders. Nothing about Desna or Eska or even Unalaq mattered now except making sure the Southern Warriors were alright and that everyone was receiving any healing attention they needed. Desna and his sister had made their choice and Kiiata knew her own path. She trusted Katara and the other Southerners who were fighting against the invasion by the North. Avatar Korra had spread the word that Chief Unalaq was up to something and though Kiiata could fight, she knew her skills would best be used in the Healing Hut with Katara and the other healers.

As she moved out into the night, she absent mindedly searched for any traces of tracks made by the twins, but the storm made her vision blur and she imagined any footprints would be erased by the blowing squalls anyway. She sighed, heaved her now ruined bag up onto her shoulder and began walking back toward town, realizing just how tired she was. Her family would likely all be in bed, they knew she had been working long hours at the Healing Hut lately and rarely waited up for her arrival. All she could imagine was falling into her bed and wrapping herself in the soft furs and warming her toes and finger tips from the cold night.

She was traipsing the edge of town when a movement in the shadows caught her eye. She turned and saw creatures that resembled the shadows themselves moving quickly towards her. She prepared to fight but it turned out unnecessary. The shadow creatures were heading away from town, back towards the Spirit Portal, ignoring Kiiata as if they were being called.

"Whatever is going on," she thought to herself, "I probably shouldn't be out alone any longer. Especially considering that Eska and Desna could betray me easily to Northern soldiers."

She moved even faster through the storm, passing the healing hut and picking up her pace until she reached the door of her family's home. It wasn't much bigger than the huts on the outskirts of town, but it was a more modern version of the traditional huts Southerners dwelled in.

Kiiata dropped her ruined bag outside by the front door pushed aside the wooden door that covered the entry way. The house was dark and everyone seemed to be asleep; the fur drapery on each bedroom doorway hanging down to keep any light out of the rooms. She headed for the only one that remained pulled aside, her own, and let the draping fall as she began to shed her clothes.

As she removed her sleeveless top over her wrappings her hand brushed the two marks where Eska's second round of ice daggers had slashed her collarbone. She paused in her undressing and recalled the feel of Desna's hand and how he had so briefly rested it upon the marks while they were still bleeding. She wondered what he would think, if he saw her now, in nothing but her wrappings. Would he want to kiss her now? Would he be able to walk out and leave her if he were here now? He had put his hand right above her breasts, and in a way that had left her a bit breathless. Her cheeks heated now as her mind wandered to him unwinding the wrappings around her chest, placing his lips softly against her breasts…

She shook her head and slid into the furs on her bed; it was pointless to think of anything other than getting some rest right now. Katara would need her in the healing hut bright and early and she needed to be focused on heeling wounded warriors rather than the family who was creating so much destruction. She tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep, to banish all thoughts of Desna's hands and lips from her mind, for hours before finally her mind gave in. She fell asleep in the moments before dawn's first light, only to fall into dreams of lips and caresses that left her wanting when she woke.

* * *

The days since Desna had been injured passed slowly and painfully. Sleeping was a pain, no matter how soft his bed was made. Eska was trying to replicate the healing technique Kiiata had used on him in the cave, but with little success. By the fourth day his pain was finally subsiding and he was more than grateful. Spending so many hours cooped up gave him far too much time to think; far too much time to regret how he had left Kiiata.

On the one hand, he regretted ever having touched her, kissed her, wanted her in the first place. But he knew he couldn't erase what had happened and instead of laying his feelings on the line he had left without a word. He hadn't even thanked her. She had saved his life and all he had done was walk out.

'Stop this,' he murmured to himself. Desna was not even the type to feel remorse or regret, but somehow Kiiata managed to turn his whole world inside out. He couldn't deny that it pissed him off that she had the ability to do that. He had watched his sister with the Earthbending fool and seen her wield power over their entire relationship. She had even given him a betrothal necklace; clearly he should have the same power over Kiiata, should he not? She was just a Southern Tribe healer, with little knowledge of the world or even how to fight properly, yet somehow she had a handle on him that he just couldn't shake.

"Get your brother out of bed," he heard his father's voice down the hall from his room.

"Father, he is still recovering from his injuries in the Spirit World…"

"He's fine, my brother is planning to bring his rebels into the city tonight. We need to be ready for them and you and your brother need to fight alongside me."

* * *

Kiiata had just settled in front of the fire with a waterbending scroll and a bowl of seaweed noodles her mom had made for her when a pounding on the door made her jump. Her father opened the door to reveal a warrior leaning in the door frame.

"Tiikani?"

"Where is Kiiata? Katara needs her help, she's desperate."

Kiiata was across the room in seconds, pulling water from a jug on the counter as she moved.

"What is going on Tiikani?" she asked as she moved the water over an open wound in his skull.

"Tonraq and the rebels, we planned an attack to take back the town," he fumbled with his words.

"I thought he was waiting until Korra got back?" Kiiata's mother spoke up.

"We thought we couldn't wait any longer. We moved into town expecting an easy take down, but Chief Unalaq… The Prince and Princess were there waiting…"

Kiiata looked down. This was her fault. She had healed Desna and he had gone back to his daddy and was spending his evenings attacking her people.

"I'm going after them," she said suddenly and started walking.

"Kiiata, no. You don't even know how to fight!" her mother said grabbing her arm.

"Kiiata, Katara needs your help. There are ten warriors to every healer right now. She said to bring you; that you alone match the skill of all her healers together," Tiikani threw in.

Kiiata sighed and closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight against Tonraq or Eska, but she wondered if her anger at herself would have been enough to take Desna out at least. For good this time.

"There's something else," Tiikani hesitated. "When we went to attack there were these creatures with them. Just the look of them gave me chills up and down my spine. They fought alongside the Chief and his children, as if they were some sort of spirit army."

"They are," Kiiata said.

"What?" Everyone had turned to look at her now.

"I've been seeing them in town. The first time was the other night. I thought it was a shadow, or that maybe I was seeing things. But then I saw them more and more after that… It all began when the Avatar opened the Spirit Portal for Unalaq. I think they're dark spirits. And I think they're under his command."

"If that's the case we're at even more of a disadvantage than I thought," Tiikani replied.

"If that's the case than I need to get to the healing hut now, and the warriors need to be given the signal to fall back for now," Kiiata said, looking to her parents this time.

"Tiikani, you and Kiiata get to the healing hut. I'll head into town with some reinforcements and try to get the warriors to fall back for the night," her father responded before moving into action to leave.

"Be careful Kiiata," her mother whispered hugging her.

* * *

When the warriors came into town Desna and Eska were ready for them.

"Do you not find it odd, Eska, that Father has us using the dark spirits to fight the Southern Rebels?"

"Desna, do not let that foolish Southern child taint your mind. Focus on the task we have been assigned."

"She's not a child," Desna grumbled, thankful that Eska didn't hear. The last thing he needed was an argument with his twin sister.

Desna could see the Southern warriors moving toward town, his uncle was leading them. He wondered absent-mindedly if Kiiata had family that would be among them, perhaps he should avoid injuring any of them too seriously. He would feel awful if Kiiata was sitting at the healing hut only to have her own father brought in, he didn't want to imagine her face if they informed her that Desna was the attacker.

"Desna, focus. Father is expecting us to help him take down our Uncle, you can't" –

"Eska, why though? Why are we taking down our Uncle, it could be possible that" –

Eska grabbed her brother by the sleeves of his robes and pulled him so she was staring right into his icey blue eyes. She gave him a quick shake before saying, "Remove the girl from your thoughts Desna. Father is doing what is best for the Tribe." She broke their eye contact momentarily to take in the warriors who had almost reached their hiding spot. "Prepare to fight," she said turning back to her brother. "We ambush now."

* * *

When Kiiata had first arrived at the healing hut everyone had been in a flurry of action but after she had moved through, aiding four different healers, things seemed to settle down. Katara was moving as fast as she could, but Kiiata could tell that her energy levels were zapped; she had been working all night. She wished there were enough hands to send the elderly woman to bed, but she knew even if there were, Katara would never go.

If Katara had been concerned about the number of wounded warriors before Kiiata got there, the number had tripled by two in the morning.

"How many of the warriors were injured?" Kiiata asked a man she knew to be close with Tonraq, the Avatar's father.

"Nearly all of us. Some of the wounds were minor, those warriors went home to tend to themselves," he winced as Kiiata pressed firmly on the gash on his arm, "but Tonraq's brother has somehow gained control of the spirits and they're almost impossible to attack, much less debilitate."

Kiiata nodded. She was trying her best not to feel guilty but she had put blind faith in a stranger when she healed him and expected him not to go right back to the person who had injured him in the first place. She took a deep breath and steeled her mind against the thoughts. She would never make it through the long hours ahead of her if she wasted her healing energies on guilt.

It was not long after dawn when Kiiata sat on the front steps of the healing hut, most of the men having fallen asleep and were on their way to health. She turned when she heard footsteps knowing Katara would be coming out to check on her. She needed to get her mentor some rest before they would have to start morning rounds. But before she could chastise the old woman for being stubborn Katara spoke.

"I have a sense that something is weighing heavily on your mind."

Kiiata raised her turquoise eyes to meet Katara's and shrugged.

The old woman shook her head. "I may be a physical healer, but your mind is just as important. Tell me what's wrong."

Kiiata heaved a sigh. "I did something so, so stupid Katara."

The woman sat down beside her and waited patiently for her to continue. Kiiata dropped her head in her hands. If she cried she didn't want even Katara to see.

"I was out on the Tundra when I saw Unalaq's kids, the twins. One of them was hurt. I couldn't just leave him so I brought them into shelter and healed him and now because of me all these men got hurt. If I would have just kept walking, left them to their own healers, or whatever… Katara none of this would have happened if I hadn't helped."

Katara smiled. "Oh, I've taught you well young lady," she said in earnest.

Kiiata lifted her head from her hands, her confused eyes meeting Katara's warm gaze. "Wait, what?"

"You helped someone who needed you. You tried to see the best in someone when most people would not have bothered."

"But Katara, I was wrong. Tiikani said Unalaq's kids were at the ambush. I healed Desna and he went running back to his father and he injured so many of our warriors. I'm to blame for all that."

Her voice was shaking as the weight of what she had done crashed into her like a tidal wave. She felt Katara's arms wrap around her in a mothering way and hold her while her tears began to fall.

"Oh, sweet child. I once went through the same thing. I thought I saw some good in a person, I was willing to help him despite the opinions of the people around me."

Kiiata lifted her head. "Really? Were you right?"

"No. He betrayed my friends and I. He put us in grave danger and for a long time I kicked myself for trusting him."

"Oh."

"But… Zuko did find his path eventually and he realized what his destiny was. It took him a while to gain my trust again, but eventually we became very close."

"Hold on just a sec," Kiiata interjected. "Zuko? As in Fire Lord Zuko?"

Katara nodded. "One and the same."

"But you two seem like the best of friends. Whenever he visits you spend hours with him!"

"You're correct dear. We are the best of friends. With Aang and my brother gone all that is left of our group is Zuko and Toph, and Toph has been out of contact for some time now. I haven't seen Zuko in a few months either… Maybe it's time I paid him a visit in the Fire Nation…"

Kiiata waited. Katara was very obviously reminiscing about past adventures with 'Team Avatar'. Finally after a few moments of musing aloud she spoke to Kiiata once again.

"Sorry Kiiata, I was making a point with this story. What I am trying to say is that even though Desna may be helping Unalaq now, it may be at a later time that he realizes his allegiances lay elsewhere. After Zuko betrayed my friends and I he returned to the Fire Nation, only to discover his true destiny was at the Avatar's side. Perhaps Desna and his sister will find the same."

Kiiata sighed. She knew the story of Zuko and how he had come to realize what his true destiny was. But he doubted that Desna would have any such epiphany and to face facts, she wasn't as great as the Avatar. Even if Desna had a change of heart he would not come rushing to her side, but to his cousin's. She startled out of her own mind when she felt Katara stand up.

"I best be getting my old bones some rest. And you best be getting yourself some too. I figure that if last night is any indication of what Unalaq's spirits can do we better be as prepared as we can. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing more than civil war."

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry that this update has taken even longer to add! I've been writing a lot more, especially with Book 4 now being on ! Did anybody else love Desna &amp; Eska's appearance in Ep. 3? There's been a lot more traffic on this fic since the episode aired so I figured it's the perfect time to post a new chapter. Sorry if there's any mistakes, I edited but my brain is on overdrive with University assignments (you know, the reason why I never have time to write for fun anymore). Hope y'all enjoy and leave some reviews so the next few chapters will be bomb!_


	5. Chapter 5

Desna walked silently with his twin through the deserted Southern Tribe streets. They had fought well; he knew that much. Many Southern warriors would be filing into the Healing Huts tonight. His father had taken on Tonraq and Desna couldn't help but wonder if the man would need a Healer, or a grave. Maybe Kiiata would be there to save his life. The thought of her name stopped him suddenly.

"Desna?" Eska looked back over her shoulder at him.

But he only shook his head and walked on. Kiiata… He had done so well to put her out of his mind during the fight and now, here she was, clawing her way back in. Every warrior she healed would have wounds inflicted by him. She would probably be up all night and it was all his fault.

The pang of sympathy he felt for the girl stirred him. How single-minded he had been while fighting; as if nothing else in the world existed. It was a skill his father had taught him, one that, up until now, he had seen as beneficial. But now, as he examined his hands in front of him while he treaded through the night, he realized he had inflicted so much pain. His cousin had said it, the North and South were brothers. No matter how uncultured and rough the South may be; the Tribes were one. Had he just torn through his brothers as if they were enemies? What if it had been Kiiata there? His feelings for her were different than familial, but would he have the ability to take her down if it were his father's order?

Of course not, he rebuked. But then again, how could he know if he hadn't already hurt her? How could he be sure, right now, that her brother, or uncle, or even father, was not laying on a cot in the Healing Hut, waiting to be treated for wounds Desna had caused? The very thought made his stomach roll with nausea.

He pictured his father briefly. How many men had he struck down? Come to think of it, how maniacally had he gone after his own brother? As if he were something to be crushed and ridden from the world. When Desna and Eska had attempted to help their father he had even pushed them aside. For what? Some deep need to be the better brother? The stronger one? The most powerful? And wasn't it true? Hadn't their father always pushed that the Southern Tribe wasn't worthy of anything? That they were weaker? Less refined? Hadn't both he and his twin always agreed? Always followed his lead?

But Kiiata hadn't seen it that way either. She had seen it the same way Korra had, or else she would never have helped heal him. If the Southern Tribe saw the North as brothers, as part of their own tribe, then why had Unalaq always raised his children to see the South as less? It was all starting to come together in his mind now. Maybe Kiiata was right, maybe he and Eska shouldn't be blindly following their father's every command and whim, maybe perhaps he wasn't as perfect as he had always wanted them to think.

"Desna? What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Eska. I am fine."

"You haven't spoken one word since we left Father. You know he will be alright. He is much stronger and more tactical than our Uncle," his twin quipped.

"Yes, sister. I know this. I am not worried about Father. Let us just arrive at the Southern Palace and settle to bed. We will probably be departing for home tomorrow."

* * *

Kiiata slept for a meager four hours before she set out for the Healing Hut again. When she arrived she saw Katara hadn't slept much either; she gave Kiiata a secret smile as she chatted with a warrior beside his cot. She began to follow suit and make her rounds, when a group, led by Katara's youngest son entered the hut.

Katara immediately rushed to greet them, seeing her granddaughter cradled in her sons arms.

"What happened?" she asked looking at the young girl.

"Her soul is trapped in the spirit world…" the man spoke, looking sadly at Katara.

"Oh my goodness," the old women muttered. "How long has she been away?"

"Almost a week," lamented the women on his right. Kiiata recognized Kya, Katara's daughter, who often worked in the hut and kept the old women company. "I've tried to keep her energy flowing but I can feel her slipping away… You're the only one who can help her now mom."

Kya's voice was soft, quiet and full of anguish as she spoke. Suddenly, the man Kiiata was healing flinched, and she apologized, focusing back on her work. She heard Katara lead the group into a separate room with healing tubs and knew that the old women's focus would be shifted to her granddaughter. It was up to Kiiata and the few other Healers to get their Warriors back into shape. Kiiata couldn't deny that the war was likely over, Unalaq probably considered the South defeated and officially under control of the North, but she also knew that as long as their Warriors were still alive, they would continue the fight.

After about an hour, Kiiata heard someone emerge and turned to see Korra walking up to her.

"Avatar Korra," Kiiata uttered in surprise.

"I'm sorry to disturb your work," she said softly, "But I need to speak with the rebel Warriors."

"Of course, anything you need!"

"And… thank you Kiiata."

She looked up in shock. Korra knows my name?

"Katara has told me how much you've been helping her. She was my mentor and my waterbending teacher; the best there is. But I heard you've become really talented as well. Who knows, maybe you'll be teaching the next Avatar," Korra finished, patting Kiiata on the shoulder.

Wow, Kiiata couldn't even imagine being that talented. Talented enough to teach an Avatar? Maybe talented enough to run Healer workshops. She excused herself then, giving Korra a chance to speak with the warriors, and headed into the room with the healing tubs. As she entered, the group of Katara's children were turning to depart. Kya smiled weakly at her.

"Help my niece. You and my mother are the strongest healers in the South. Keep her body safe until we can return her spirit to it," Kya pleaded, placing her hand on Kiiata's shoulder as the Avatar just had.

"Of course, Kya," Kiiata answered. Of course, she was unsure if she really was as talented as people kept telling her, but it wouldn't stop her from trying.

"Thank you," the woman nodded as she followed her siblings out of the room.

"How is she?" Kiiata inquired of her mentor, moving to her side without missing a beat.

"Strong. I don't know anyone who would have lasted this long. But the Southern Tribe is known for its tough women," Katara smiled gently.

Kiiata couldn't help but smile back. Katara was right. If there was one thing that was obvious, it was that this girl, Katara's granddaughter, had the same strong Water Tribe blood flowing through her veins as her grandmother, as the Avatar, and as Kiiata herself.

"Is there any word on Avatar Korra's father?" Kiiata heard herself whisper.

"Senna said he was captured by his brother…" Katara trailed off.

"Captured! But why?"

"It's impossible to know. Most likely as leverage. Korra knows where her father is and nothing will stop her from trying to save him, or from trying to stop Unalaq."

Kiiata was silent for a few moments, continuing to move the flow of water back and forth over the young girl's lifeless body.

"You're worried about Desna, aren't you?" Katara asked, gently.

Kiiata blushed and looked up at the old woman through her eyelashes. "Is that wrong of me? I mean I'm worried about everyone; about Korra and everyone in our Tribe. But…"

Katara waited, watching her student.

"But our tribe includes Desna… And Eska. Doesn't it?" she finally finished.

"Yes, they are as much a part of our tribe as you and I," Katara responded.

Kiiata sighed.

"Kiiata, there is nothing wrong with how you're feeling."

"But if you asked anyone, anyone at all, in the middle of this civil war, they would tell you there was," Kiiata sighed.

"But everyone is not you, Kiiata. And sometimes the right path isn't the easiest one."

"Katara, what should I do?"

The old woman gave a wry smile and just shook her head, "That is not for me to say. This is your decision."

* * *

_Authors Note: I know, where have I been for two freaking years? Casually finished a degree and NEVER WRITING ANYTHING FICTIONAL. It sucked. And now I suck at writing. This is one of the fics I'm still most motivated to write, especially since LOK has ended and now all I can do to satisfy my Avatar needs is read and write fan fic. I apology for this, and the next few, chapters being rough and having a much lower quality than the previous ones, but like I said, I am sooooo out of practice. Hopefully that won't last long though, as I really do love this fic piece and these characters to bits. _


End file.
